Patent application title: Connector and Connector Assembling System

Abstract:

A connector is described, the connector including a housing with a bottom
wall and two upstanding opposite side walls determining a receiving space
for receiving an insertion side of a second connector. The housing is
provided with a flexible latch for locking the second connector in the
receiving space of the housing. The latch is mounted in the bottom wall
of the housing.

Claims:

1. Connector, comprising a housing with a bottom wall and two upstanding
opposite side walls determining a receiving space for receiving an
insertion side of a second connector, wherein said housing is provided
with a flexible latch for locking the second connector in the receiving
space of the housing, characterized in that said latch is mounted in the
bottom wall of the housing.

2. Connector according to claim 1, wherein the bottom wall of the housing
is provided with a row of mounting slots and said latch is provided with
at least one mounting tongue which is inserted into a mounting slot of
the bottom wall.

3. Connector according to claim 2, wherein said latch is provided with two
mounting tongues received in mounting slots of the bottom wall of the
housing.

4. Connector according to claim 1, wherein each mounting tongue of the
latch is provided with a locking lip and each mounting slot is provided
with a locking slot, wherein the locking lip is received in the locking
slot to lock the latch in the bottom wall.

5. Connector according to claim 1, wherein said row of mounting slots is
provided adjacent to a side wall in the bottom wall within the receiving
space.

6. Connector according to claim 4, wherein said row of mounting slots is
provided adjacent to a side wall in an extension part of the bottom wall
outside the receiving space.

7. Connector, comprising a housing with a bottom wall and two upstanding
opposite side walls determining a receiving space for receiving an
insertion side of a second connector, wherein said housing is provided
with a flexible latch for locking the second connector in the receiving
space of the housing, characterized in that at least one side wall of the
housing is provided with a row of mounting slots and said latch is
provided with at least one mounting tongue which is inserted into a
mounting slot of the side wall.

8. Connector according to claim 7, wherein said latch is provided with two
mounting tongues received in mounting slots of the bottom wall of the
housing.

9. Connector assembling system, comprising a connector having a housing
with a bottom wall and two upstanding opposite side walls determining a
receiving space, and a latch to be mounted on the connector housing,
characterized in that the bottom and/or at least one side wall of the
connector housing is provided with a row of mounting slots and said latch
is provided with at least one mounting tongue which can be inserted into
any mounting slot of the row of mounting slots.

10. Connector assembling system according to claim 9, wherein said latch
is provided with two mounting tongues which can be inserted in two
mounting slots of the row of slots.

11. Connector assembling system according to claim 9, wherein each
mounting tongue of the latch is provided with a locking lip and each
mounting slot is provided with a locking slot, wherein the locking lip
can be received in the locking slot to lock the latch in the connector
housing.

12. Connector assembling system according to claim 11, wherein the locking
slot is accessible from the side of the bottom wall opposite of the
receiving space, wherein a tool can be inserted into the locking slot to
disengage the locking lip to allow removing of a latch.

13. Connector assembling system according to claim 9, wherein the distance
between mounting slots of adjacent connector housings corresponds with
the pitch of the row of mounting slots such that two mounting tongues of
a latch can be inserted into mounting slots of adjacent connector
housings.

Description:

[0001]The invention relates to a connector, comprising a connector having
a housing with a bottom wall and two upstanding opposite side walls
determining a receiving space for receiving an insertion side of a second
connector, wherein said housing is provided with a flexible latch for
locking the second connector in the receiving space of the housing, and
to a connector assembling system for assembling such a connector.

[0002]WO 97/47058 discloses a connector of this type, wherein the latch is
mounted on the upperside of one of the sidewalls of the second housing.
Thereby, the overall height of the connector is relatively great.

[0003]The object of the invention is to provide a connector of the
above-mentioned type, wherein the height of the connector can be reduced.

[0004]To this end the connector of the invention is characterized in that
said latch is mounted in the bottom wall of the housing.

[0005]In this manner a connector is obtained, wherein the height of the
connector can be reduced so that a connector is obtained with a low
profile.

[0006]In a preferred embodiment the bottom wall of the housing is provided
with a row of mounting slots and said latch is provided with at least one
mounting tongue which is inserted into a mounting slot of the bottom
wall. In this manner the latch can be mounted in the second housing at
any desired location depending on the size of the first connector and
location where the second connector is to be inserted into the receiving
space.

[0007]In an advanteagous embodiment said latch is provided with two
mounting tongues received in mounting slots of the bottom wall of the
housing. Providing a second type of latch results in an increased
flexibility in use of the connector according to the invention, wherein
depending on the size of the first connector a latch with one or two
mounting tongues and corresponding width can be used.

[0008]In another aspect of the invention at least one side wall of the
housing is provided with a row of mounting slots and said latch is
provided with at least one mounting tongue which is inserted into a
mounting slot of the side wall.

[0009]The invention further provides a connector assembling system,
comprising a connector having a housing with a bottom wall and two
upstanding opposite side walls determining a receiving space, and a latch
to be mounted in the connector housing, wherein according to the
invention this system is characterized in that the bottom and/or at least
one side wall of the connector housing is provided with a row of mounting
slots and said latch is provided with at least one mounting tongue which
can be inserted into any mounting slot of the row of mounting slots.

[0010]The invention will be further explained by reference to the drawings
showing some embodiments of the connector according to the invention.

[0011]FIGS. 1A and 1B show a first embodiment of the connector according
to the invention, wherein a second connector is inserted into the
receiving space.

[0012]FIG. 2 shows the connector of FIG. 1, wherein a different second
connector is inserted into the receiving space.

[0013]FIGS. 3 and 4 show different examples of a latch to be used in the
connector of the invention.

[0014]FIGS. 5A-5F show different embodiments of the connector of the
invention, wherein second connectors of various sizes are inserted into
the receiving space.

[0015]FIGS. 6A-6C are different views of a part of the connector of FIG. 1
at a larger scale to show the mounting of the latch in the bottom wall of
the connector housing.

[0016]FIG. 7 shows a part of the housing of the connector of FIG. 1 at a
larger scale.

[0017]FIGS. 8A and 8B show a further embodiment of the connector of the
invention.

[0018]FIGS. 1A and 1B show different perspective views of a connector 1
having a header or housing 2 with a bottom wall 3 and two upstanding
sidewalls 4 and 5. The bottom wall 3 and sidewalls 4,5 determine a
receiving space 6 accommodating a number of contact elements 7 and
adapted to receive a second connector 8, which in the embodiment of FIG.
1 is made as a cable connector comprising two coupled connector wafers 9.
Such a cable connector assembled of coupled connector wafers is described
in more detail in a co-pending patent application of the same filing date
of the same applicant. For a detailed description reference is made to
this co-pending patent application.

[0019]As can be seen in FIG. 1, the bottom wall has an extension 10
outside the receiving space 6 adjacent to the sidewall 4. In this
extension part 10 of the bottom wall 3 a row of mounting slots 11 is
provided as can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 showing a part of the connector
1 in more detail at a larger scale. These mounting slots 11 are provided
for mounting a flexible latch 12 which in the embodiment shown is made of
metal sheet. The latch 12 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The
latch 12 is provided with a mounting tongue 13 and as can be seen in FIG.
6, this mounting tongue 13 is inserted into a mounting slot 11 of the
bottom wall 3. The mounting tongue 13 is provided with a locking lip 14
and each mounting slot 11 is provided with a locking slot 15 determining
a stop 16. When the connector 1 is assembled with a latch 12, the
mounting tongue 13 is inserted into one of the mounting slots 11, wherein
the locking lip 14 is forced inwardly. When the fully inserted position
is reached, the locking lip 14 springs back into the locking slot 14 and
engages the stop 16 thereby fixing the latch 12 in the mounting slot 11.

[0020]At its end opposite of the mounting tongue 13, the latch 12
comprises two protrusions 17 engaging the second connector 8 when the
second connector 8 is fully inserted into the receiving space 6. The
latch 12 can be disengaged from the second connector 8 if the second
connector has to be disconnected from the connector 1.

[0021]As can be seen in FIG. 2, the latch 12 is adapted to engage a
different size connector 18 which comprises only one connector wafer 9.

[0022]FIGS. 4A and 4B show a latch 19 which is used in the embodiment of
the connector 1 shown in FIGS. 5A-5F. The latch 19 is made in the same
manner as the latch 12 of FIG. 3, wherein the width of the latch 19 is
substantially twice the width of the latch 12. The latch 19 is provided
with two mounting tongues 13, each mounting tongue 13 having a locking
lip 14. The pitch of the mounting tongues 13 corresponds with the pitch
of the mounting slots 11, so that the mounting tongues 13 can be inserted
into any two adjacent mounting slots 11. In this manner the latch 19 can
be mounted in any desired position with respect to the housing 2 of the
connector 1 depending on the type of connector 20 to be inserted into the
receiving space 6 of the connector 1. As an alternative the latch 19 can
have such dimensions and pitch of the mounting tongues 13 that one or
more mounting slots 11 are skipped. It is also possible to provide a
latch with three or more mounting tongues.

[0023]Different sizes of a connector 20 comprising four, six or eight
connector wafers 9, are shown in FIG. 5 with corresponding possible
positions of the latch 19 to provide a secure locking of the connector 20
to the connector 1. In the same manner the latch 12 can be mounted in any
desired position with respect to the connector 1. Further it is possible
to provide the connector 1 with a combination of a latch 12 and a latch
19 or combinations of two or more latches 12 and 19. Moreover, in cases
where two connector 1 are mounted adjacent to one another, the distance
between two adjacent mounting slots 1 corresponds with the pitch of the
mounting slots 1 so that the latch 19 can also be mounted with its two
mounting tongues in mounting slots 11 of the adjacent connectors 1.

[0024]It will be clear that with the connector housing 2 and latches 12
and 19 it is possible to assemble a connector 1 with one or more latches
12,19 at any desired position with respect to the connector housing 2. As
the locking slots 15 are accessible from the side of the bottom wall 3
opposite of the receiving space 6, a latch 12 or 19 can be easily removed
from the connector housing 2 by inserting a suitable tool into the
locking slot(s) 15. In this manner an assembled connector 1 can easily be
adapted to its intended use.

[0025]As the latch 12,19 is mounted in the bottom wall 3 of the connector
1, the overall height of the connector 1 with connector 8 or 20 inserted
into the receiving space 6 can be low thereby providing a low profile
connector system.

[0026]FIG. 8A and 8B show a top view and perspective view, respectively of
a second embodiment of the connector of the invention indicated by
reference numeral 21. In this case the row mounting slots 11 is provided
at the inner side of the sidewall 4 within the receiving space 6. In this
manner the width of the connector housing 2 can be reduced by deleting
the extension part 10. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, a latch 19 is used.
However it is of course also possible to use a latch 12 and any
combination of latches 12 and 19.

[0027]In an alternative embodiment the row of mounting slots can be
provided in the upper end of a side wall. Although this will result in an
increase of the connector height, it is still possible to maintain all
further features of the described connector and connector assembling
system. In particular such an embodiment provides the flexibility to
assemble a desired connector with one or more latches at any desired
position on the connector housing.

[0028]The invention is not restricted to the above-described embodiments
which can be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the following
claims.